


.closure

by AkaToMidori



Series: “Kiss me.” [3]
Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: AU, Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-03
Updated: 2020-01-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:49:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22104355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AkaToMidori/pseuds/AkaToMidori
Summary: “I didn’t know what to order for you,” Aiba said, pointing at the drinks behind the counter.“I’ll have a martini,” the man said, addressing the bartender directly. Then, he turned back to Aiba. “You’re early. Did you wait a long time?”“No, not really,” he lied. He didn’t want to tell him he had been waiting for almost an hour at the bar, trying to come to terms with everything he was feeling.
Relationships: Aiba Masaki/Matsumoto Jun, Aiba Masaki/Sakurai Sho
Series: “Kiss me.” [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1587547
Comments: 2
Kudos: 29
Collections: Sakuraiba Tanabata 2019-2020





	.closure

**Author's Note:**

> _Jan 03_  
>  Prompt: “I fell in love with my best friend.”

Sitting at the bar with a cold beer in his hands, Aiba was biting on his lips as he looked at the ticking clock on the wall. The bartender, who no doubt had seen weirder things and people in his line of work, didn’t pay much attention to him as he tapped his fingers nervously on the wooden counter. 

The place wasn’t crowded at this time of night, so every time the door would open, he would have no trouble hearing every new customer coming in. So far, three people had come in, and none of them was the one he was waiting for. 

He showed up right when the clock struck nine thirty, wind howling in and mixing with the bartender’s loud ‘ _welcome to the bar_.’ A second later, a hand gently tapped on his shoulder, as the man sat next to him and gave him an awkward smile. 

Aiba tried to smile back, still feeling embarrassed and nervous about the talk they were about to have. He had braced himself for it for the whole day since he had received his text, but he still didn’t know what to say or do. 

“I didn’t know what to order for you,” Aiba said, pointing at the drinks behind the counter. 

“I’ll have a martini,” the man said, addressing the bartender directly. Then, he turned back to Aiba. “You’re early. Did you wait a long time?” 

“No, not really,” he lied. He didn’t want to tell him he had been waiting for almost an hour at the bar, trying to come to terms with everything he was feeling. 

Holding back a sigh, Aiba stole a glance at the other man as he was taking off his coat, revealing a soft looking black sweater under it, that was perfectly complemented by his burgundy scarf. As usual, Matsumoto Jun, his ex-colleague from his former company, was stylish as ever. Aiba asked himself for the upteenth time what his problem was. Jun had clearly expressed an interest in him, – an interest they were about to bring to the next level just the night before, – and Aiba ruined it. 

As if he read his thoughts, Jun started speaking. 

“About last night,” he said as soon as his martini was put in front of him. “I thought things were going well, but then you ran away from my place...” he hesitated. “Was it me? Did I do something wrong?” 

“No!” Aiba exclaimed. “No, really, you didn’t do anything wrong.” 

“You can tell me if I did, Aiba-kun,” the other said earnestly. “Whatever it was, it wasn’t my intention to make you feel uncomfortable in any way—”

“Stop,” Aiba interrupted him. He squeezed one of his hands and offered him a smile. “It should be me who should apologize, Jun-kun. I was about to do something horrible to you.” He shook his head and took another sip of his beer. 

Jun frowned so much at those words that his glasses actually swayed on top of his nose. “What do you mean by ‘something horrible’?”

Aiba looked up from his glass with a bittersweet smile. “You know… I was about to sleep with you.”

Jun coughed shyly, but he regained his composure quite quickly. “That… That was kind of the whole point, Aiba-kun. ‘Horrible’ isn’t how I would describe it..” 

Aiba shook his head again. “But it is, because see,” he sighed, “I fell in love with my best friend.” 

Jun was taken aback at those words. “Ninomiya-san?” he asked. “But he’s married.” 

Aiba chuckled. “No, not Nino. I fell in love a long time ago. I didn’t even know Nino back then.” 

Aiba observed as the creases on Jun’s forehead became deeper, but he appreciated that the other guy wasn’t pushing for a name. He didn’t know how to explain to Jun that he was in love with his _senpai_ at his company right now, and that when Jun had pushed Aiba on his bed and had whispered to him _‘kiss me’_ the night before, all he could think of was stolen moments under a big cherry tree spent kissing his first love instead. As far as Jun knew, Sho and Aiba had never met before he had introduced them almost a year ago, when Sho had come back to Japan to work at Jun’s company from another branch overseas, carelessly throwing Aiba’s life to the wind again.

“We don’t have to talk about it,” Jun concluded kindly, and Aiba nodded gratefully.

“Aiba-kun.”

Aiba turned around to look at Jun as he closed the door behind him. He finished adjusting his gloves before he looked up. His nose was already getting red from the cold, and Aiba instinctively pulled the collar of his own coat up to shield himself from the wind. Jun’s eyes were serious, yet not unkind, as he looked at him, but Aiba still felt the air around them become heavier all of a sudden. 

“I don’t know who you’re in love with and what happened,” he said. “But it is clear to me that you’re not over them yet, and that isn’t fair to you. Or to me,” he added with a smile. “So do us both a favor, and go tell them.” 

“Jun-kun…” Aiba held out his hand impulsively, but quickly let it fall. “I would be so lucky to be in love with you.” 

Jun chuckled. “I know.” 

With a last smile, they waved goodbye. Aiba walked away from the bar with a million thoughts swirling in his mind. Jun was right. Whether he wanted to get back together with Sho or he wanted to cut things off completely, he needed to get closure one way or another. He couldn’t spend another ten years of his life spoiling every relationship he had because he wondered ‘ _but what if…_ ’

He stopped in his tracks and patted his pockets, looking for his phone. He slipped off one of his gloves and looked for Sho in his contacts. When Sho had come back, he had learned his number in secret from Nino, who had swiped it from Jun’s phone. Since then, for a whole year, all he ever did was stare at that empty chat, waiting for something to happen. He didn’t know what he should say, so he settled for something simple and crossed his fingers. 

‘ _It’s me._  
_Please meet me at the usual place._  
_Aiba_ ’


End file.
